Publisher's note

Slow horizon

Photo: Julian Master

We’ve now turned a corner into the part of the year when the city gets warmer and all sorts of new and familiar smells begin again to radiate out from the sidewalks and open windows. On really hot days you can almost see the jagged lines of odor buzzing out, like in a cartoon. The old problem of the odd subway car without air conditioning has returned, and the shaded part of the street is starting to reclaim some of the appeal it lost during the winter months. Walking around on the nicest of days, it’s nearly impossible not to wonder about the city’s eventual devastation by flood.

But whether or not our adventures in the heat make their way into some future history of metropolitan life before the deluge isn't the point. Even now, the novelty of your first few dozen times out on the town has likely worn off – you know how easy it is to forget an entire evening. In sad resignation, you might quietly concede that you won’t remember the taste of the cocktail you’re so excited for, you might only vaguely recall what you so fervently discussed, and even the name of the person on the other side of the table might become worse than irretrievable – you may come to never think of them at all.

It's also far too easy to forget what still lies ahead: that whatever flaws the coming summer in New York holds (it’ll be hot!), you'll also have the chance to escape the humidity for a happy afternoon hour or two in, yes, one of those dark and totally mundane bars that will one day slip from your memory. Hopefully though, you'll retain the nice feeling offered by so many drinking establishments here – maybe one of the few things we can still cherish in 2017: the feeling that there’s enough turnover and general acceptance for the weird that you can for a time get out from under the three-ring curse of fighting the same fights with yourself, telling the same old stories about who you are, and falling under your own spell for more than the briefest of moments.

This month, we’re excited to share with you terrific photography and writing – from our largest group of contributors yet – to remind you what's out there to be discovered just a bus ride, deli bite, ferry ticket, or thumb swipe away.